By Jade Walker

After more than a decade since a water crisis devastated Flint, Michigan, there has been some progress. In July, the state told a federal court that it had replaced 11,000 lead pipes and restored 28,000 damaged properties. Federal officials say Flint’s water is now safe and meets the requirements of the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Act, but some residents remain skeptical.

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Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

Jobs report

President Donald Trump plans to announce a new commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics over the next few days. He fired Commissioner Erika McEntarfer on Friday, shortly after the release of a weaker-than-expected jobs report that showed the US economy added just 73,000 jobs in July. The monthly totals for May and June were also revised down by a combined 258,000 jobs. Trump responded to the report on his social media site: “In my opinion, today’s Jobs Numbers were RIGGED in order to make the Republicans, and ME, look bad.” In an appearance that aired on “Fox News Sunday,” National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett defended Trump’s decision to fire McEntarfer, claiming the president “wants his own people there.” Yet Hassett did not provide any evidence that the report was incorrect. Whoever the president nominates to be the new commissioner will need to be confirmed by the Senate.

Texas redistricting

In an attempt to block Republicans from aggressively redrawing Texas’ congressional map in their favor, House Democrats left the state on Sunday. The Texas Constitution requires two-thirds of state House members to be present to conduct legislative business and the Democrats' absence denies the GOP a quorum. The proposed map the GOP put forward last week could potentially eliminate five Democratic US House seats ahead of the 2026 midterms. Such a partisan change may have significant repercussions in Washington, where House Republicans are entering a challenging midterm landscape with a razor-thin majority. “We will not be complicit in the destruction of our own communities,” Texas House Democratic Caucus Chair Gene Wu said. Gov. Greg Abbott has threatened to remove any lawmakers who don’t appear when the state House convenes this afternoon.

Montana bar shooting

A manhunt continues for the person who allegedly opened fire on patrons and staff at a bar in Anaconda, Montana, last Friday morning. The mass shooting — one of at least 256 mass shootings in the US so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive — claimed the lives of four people, including a bartender and two customers. The suspect has been identified as Michael Paul Brown, a 45-year-old military veteran who a bartender said lived next door to The Owl Bar. He was last spotted in the Stump Town area and is believed to be armed and dangerous. Officials are offering a $7,500 reward for any information that could lead to his arrest. On Sunday, the authorities released the names of the shooting victims, all of whom were local residents. 

Abortion

The Department of Veterans Affairs wants to end certain abortion services for veterans. In a proposed rule filed last Friday, the VA is seeking to revoke access to abortions and abortion counseling for veterans and their beneficiaries, except in cases where “a physician certifies that the life of the mother would be endangered if the fetus were carried to term.” This new rule would roll back a Biden-era move that provided access to abortions when a pregnant veteran’s life or health was at risk if their pregnancy were carried to term, or if the pregnancy was the result of rape or incest — regardless of state laws. To date, 20 states have banned or limited access to the procedure. In states where abortion is limited, higher rates of maternal and infant mortality, as well as greater economic insecurity, have been reported. The VA’s proposed rule is open for public comment for 30 days starting today.

Covid-19

As Covid-19 transmission ramps up in the US, many Americans are confused about the Trump administration’s latest policies concerning access to vaccines. In recent months, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said that the Covid-19 shot will no longer be recommended for healthy children and pregnant women, replaced a federal vaccine advisory panel and announced plans to examine the well-established federal childhood vaccine schedule. Now, those who want to be vaccinated in the fall are unsure if the vaccine will be available to them and if their insurance will cover the cost. Epidemiologist Caitlin Rivers recommends that Americans who want their annual Covid-19 shot get it sooner rather than later. “The big drawback is, it is not updated yet; the new formulation will be released closer to autumn,” she said, but getting a shot now will offer protection against the summer wave.

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Man dies during Oasis concert
The Britpop icons were performing at London’s Wembley Stadium when the incident occurred.

Trophy hunter kills lion that was part of research project
The killing of Blondie, who wore a research collar for an Oxford University study, has been condemned by wildlife groups.

What people should know about the 'cortisol cocktail' 
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Giant species of stick insect discovered
Found in a remote rainforest in Australia (of course!) — the creature is nearly 16 inches long and weighs about as much as a golf ball.

Sarah Jessica Parker announces end to ‘And Just Like That…’
Did Carrie Bradshaw just break up with us? Or did we break up with her?

‘WKRP in Cincinnati’ star Loni Anderson dies at 79
The actress earned two Emmy Award and three Golden Globe nominations for playing Jennifer, the fictional station’s receptionist, who used her sex appeal to deflect unwanted business calls for her boss. Yet it was her character's efficiency that often kept the station running in the face of others’ incompetence.

Over 400 million

That’s how many metric tons of plastic are produced annually — and only a small fraction is recycled. The rest ends up in landfills or leaks into the natural environment, which is impacting everything from human health to the climate.

“It’s really immature. Whoever’s doing it just needs to grow up.”

— Chicago Sky center Elizabeth Williams, speaking to reporters after someone threw a sex toy onto the basketball court during the WNBA game against the Golden State Valkyries on Friday.  

Back-to-school shopping began early this year
Two-thirds of US families started looking for deals in July — the largest number on record.

5 Things AM is edited by CNN's Andrew Torgan.

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